AllMovie

A love-sick nobleman seeking to marry his sweetheart does his best to find his ruling prince a suitable bride so that he himself may wed in this screen adaptation of the popular Broadway musical The Princess and the Pea. No one in Prince Dauntless (Denis O'Hare)'s kingdom is permitted to marry until the prince himself exchanges vows -- a problem hindered by the fact that the prince's overprotective mother, Queen Aggravain (Carol Burnett), has thus far thwarted all efforts to marry her son. This does not sit well with the honorable Sir Harry, a man whose heart longs to wed the fair Lady Larkin (Zooey Deschanel), and after a long and arduous journey specifically designed to find the prince a bride, Sir Harry returns to his kingdom to present Princess Winnifred of the swamps (Tracey Ullman). Immediately stricken by the princess, Prince Dauntless sets into motion plans for a lavish wedding as his scheming mother cooks up a test that's sure to send his marital plans awry.